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๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ Japan expands continental shelf eastward for rare metals research

Japan extended its designation of its continental shelf to the eastern part of islands some 1,000 kilometers south of Tokyo, enabling the resource-poor country to start research on extracting maritime natural resources such as rare metals from the region.

A revised Cabinet order took effect designating a significant portion of the Ogasawara Plateau sea area as part of its continental shelf, an area of around 120,000 square kilometers. Its move to enlarge the shelf has triggered opposition from China.

The government said it has confirmed the existence of a cobalt-rich crust, including rare metals, in the region. Cobalt is a metal that is used for electric vehicle batteries.

#Japan #China

@asianomics
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๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ป๐Ÿ‡บ US opens embassy in Vanuatu, latest step in China competition

The United States opened an embassy in the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu, the latest US move in a long-running competition with China for influence in the Asia Pacific region.

"The opening of the embassy builds upon our efforts to provide more diplomatic presence throughout the region and to engage further with our Pacific neighbors," the US Department of State said in a statement.

The U.S. earlier opened embassies in two other island nations, Solomon Islands and Tonga, and plans to open one more in Kiribati. Washington has been working to boost its diplomatic presence in the Pacific to counter what it sees as a growing threat from China.

#USA #Vanuatu

@asianomics
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๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ต US-Japan Patriot missile production plan hits Boeing component roadblock

A US plan to use Japanese factories to boost production of Patriot air defense missiles - used by Ukraine - is being delayed by a shortage of a critical component manufactured by Boeing.

Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) already makes about 30 PAC-3 missiles each year under license from defense contractor Lockheed Martin and can increase that number to about 60.

But no expansion at all will be possible in Japan without additional supplies of the missiles' seekers. "It could take several years before MHI is able to raise output" because of the shortage.

Even if enough seekers are available, expanding annual PAC-3 production in Japan beyond 60 would require MHI to build more capacity.

#USA #Japan

@asianomics
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๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ China-EU ties looking rocky after hawkish von der Leyen re-elected

Chinaโ€™s relations with Europe face another rocky five years after hawkish German politician Ursula von der Leyen secured another term at the helm of the European Commission, vowing to persevere with her tough policies towards Beijing.

While many policies are set in national capitals, the commission has decision-making powers for trade and competition โ€“ two of the most contentious components of the EU-China relationship. โ€œThe more aggressive posture and unfair economic competition from China, its โ€˜no-limitsโ€™ friendship with Russia reflect a shift from cooperation to competition,โ€ her manifesto read.

โ€œThis includes our collective efforts to deploy the full range of our combined statecraft to deter China from unilaterally changing the status quo by military means, particularly over Taiwan,โ€ it said. It promoted the ideas of geoeconomics and economic security, pledging to continue โ€œde-risking rather than decouplingโ€ with China.

#EU #China

@asianomics
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๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท South Korea responds to North's trash balloons with loudspeaker broadcasts

North Korea on Sunday floated balloons carrying trash towards South Korea, South Korea's military said, declaring it would respond with "full-scale" loudspeaker broadcasts.

The South Korean military said the North's actions raising tensions near the heavily armed border could have fatal consequences, adding the North Korean regime would be solely responsible.

"As we warned several times, the military will carry out loudspeaker broadcasts in full scale and on all fronts starting 1 p.m. today," the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff said, calling the North's launch of balloons vulgar and shameful.

#NorthKorea #SouthKorea

@asianomics
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๐Ÿ‡ป๐Ÿ‡ณ Vietnam to hold state funeral for late communist party leader Trong next week

Vietnam will hold a state funeral next week for Nguyen Phu Trong, the leader of its ruling Communist Party who died on Friday.

There will be two days of national mourning on July 25-26, a government statement said, with the state funeral on the second day. During the mourning period there will be no public entertainment, and flags at offices and other public places will fly at half-mast, it said.

The government statement called Trong's death a huge loss to the party, the state, the Vietnamese people and his family.

#Vietnam

@asianomics
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๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ Quad nations to oppose South China Sea militarization in Tokyo talks

The foreign ministers of Japan, the United States, Australia and India are expected to express opposition to the militarization of the South China Sea when they meet in Tokyo later this month.

The ministers from the four-way grouping, known as the Quad, are also expected to agree to establish a dialogue framework involving law experts as part of efforts to maintain and reinforce the maritime rules-based order.

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar are expected to attend the gathering scheduled for July 29.

#USA #Japan #Australia #India

@asianomics
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๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ Trump says Chinaโ€™s Xi wrote him a โ€˜beautiful noteโ€™ after assassination attempt

Former US President Donald Trump said that Chinese President Xi Jinping wrote him a note after the Republican presidential nominee suffered a gunshot wound to his ear during an assassination attempt last week.

โ€œ[Xi] wrote me a beautiful note the other day when he heard about what happened,โ€ Trump told a crowd in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in his first campaign rally since escaping the July 13 assassination attempt.

Trump mentioned Xiโ€™s letter while discussing his economic policy toward China during his presidency, adding: โ€œI got along very well with President Xi.โ€

#USA #China

@asianomics
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๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ต๐ŸŒ Japan talks with Pacific islands focus on climate, security issues take back seat

Japanese and Pacific island leaders largely focused on climate change at their recent meeting even though Tokyo was keen to discuss security cooperation amid Chinaโ€™s growing military and economic influence in the region.

The environmental problem was a โ€œmajor priorityโ€ for Pacific island nations while Japan was setting its sights on boosting security initiatives in partnership with its allies, according to observers.

The 10th Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting was attended by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and representatives from 18 members of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), a regional body that also includes Australia and New Zealand.

Kishida said Japan would work with its Pacific counterparts over the next three years in areas including climate change, economic development, disaster resilience and decarbonisation.

#Japan #Oceania

@asianomics
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๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ China could attack Starlink-like satellites with laser-armed submarine

Chinese submarines armed with lasers could take out SpaceXโ€™s Starlink satellites if Chinaโ€™s security was at risk, according to a study by Peopleโ€™s Liberation Army (PLA) scientists.

In the study, a submarine with a megawatt-class, solid-state, laser weapon installed in its midsection could stay submerged while it raised a retractable, โ€œoptoelectronic mastโ€ to fire at satellites, before diving back down to depth.

This type of laser attack submarine could be mass-produced in the future and deployed in various oceans to counter military threats to China, said the project team led by Wang Dan, a professor with the Naval Submarine Academy.

#China

@asianomics
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๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ญ๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ China, Philippines agree on 'provisional arrangement' for South China Sea resupply missions

The Philippines and China have "reached an understanding on the provisional arrangement" for resupply missions to a beached Filipino naval ship in the South China Sea, Manila's foreign ministry said.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) did not provide details on the arrangement for the Philippines' resupply missions to the Sierra Madre on the Second Thomas Shoal.

"Both sides continue to recognize the need to de-escalate the situation in the South China Sea and manage differences through dialogue and consultation and agree that the agreement will not prejudice each otherโ€™s positions in the South China Sea," the DFA said.

#ThePhilippines #China

@asianomics
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๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ผ๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ Taiwan starts annual war games, aiming to closely mimic actual combat

Taiwan started its annual Han Kuang war games on Monday, which this year aim to be as close as possible to actual combat with no script and simulating how to repel a Chinese attack.

Taiwan's drills this year has cancelled elements that were mostly for show, like scripted firepower displays, while there will be intensified nighttime exercises and practicing how to operate with severed command lines.

Kicking off the exercises in the northern city of Taoyuan, outside of Taipei and home to Taiwan's main international airport, reservists gathered to get their orders as they would during a war, and civilian vans were pressed into service to carry supplies.

#Taiwan #China

@asianomics
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๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ญ๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡ณ๐Ÿ‡ฟ Philippines' eyes defense pacts with France, Canada and New Zealand

The Philippines is looking to forge reciprocal troops access agreements with Canada, France, New Zealand, and other countries, the defense minister said on Monday.

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro told ANC news channel he hoped the agreements could be signed next year.

The agreements would allow greater interoperability, as armed forces of these countries can operate within the Philippine territory and vice-versa, Teodoro said. "It is close to the apex of a defensive alliance," he said.

#ThePhilippines #Canada #France #NewZealand

@asianomics
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๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ต Japan PM Kishida's Cabinet support rate edges up to 24.6%

The approval rating for Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's Cabinet has edged up by 2.4 percentage points to 24.6%, a Kyodo News survey showed Sunday.

The result means the support rate of Kishida's Cabinet has remained below 30% nine consecutive times since November last year, amid continued public dissatisfaction with his leadership.

The disapproval rate for Kishida's Cabinet fell to 60.7%, 1.7 percentage points down from a previous 62.4% in June.

#Japan

@asianomics
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๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡พ๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฌ Malaysia coastguard intercepts missing oil tanker from Singapore blaze

An oil tanker that left the site of a collision and fire east of Singapore had been intercepted off the coast of Malaysia in the early hours of Sunday, Malaysian maritime authorities said.

Ceres I, a crude oil tanker sailing under the flag of Sao Tome & Principe, and the Hafnia Nile, a Singapore-flagged refined-products tanker, crashed early Friday morning in one of the worldโ€™s busiest waterways, setting both ablaze.

An aerial survey detected some traces of a spill, but further checks and an investigation will follow.

#Malaysia #Singapore

@asianomics
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Forwarded from Laura Ru (Laura Ru)
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba will visit China on 23-26 July at the invitation of Wang Yi, head of the Chinese Foreign Ministry. Kuleba said they would discuss matters such as the โ€œrestoration of peace, deepening our bilateral dialogue, and expanding trade and economic cooperationโ€.
โ–ช๏ธIn recent years Beijing has launched a significant series of diplomatic initiatives, chief among these was brokering a deal between Saudi Arabia and Iran. This achievement shocked Washington - US foreign policy isn't exactly geared towards peace and China's peace initiative was perceived as a spanner in the works. โ–ช๏ธChina's role as peacemaker gained stature and its power to shape world events increased considerably. In February 2023 Beijing presented a 12-point peace plan for Ukraine. At the time Moscow said any attempt to develop a plan that helps to transfer the conflict to a peaceful course deserves attention. Kiev, on the other hand, rejected it stating that any plan to end the war must involve the withdrawal of Russian troops to 1991 borders. In 2024 that demand is regarded as completely delusional and Kuleba knows it - Russian troops are advancing, Ukrainian forces are being depleted and the prospect of losing much of US financial and military support in case Trump wins has a sobering effect on the Kiev regime. โ–ช๏ธWhat is most remarkable in Kuleba's trip to Beijing is its duration: 4 days! That's a long time for a foreign minister's visit and indicates the two sides will engage in long and intense negotiations. All eyes on Beijing. Again. @LauraRuHK
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๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ผ๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ Sirens sound, streets deserted as Taiwan simulates Chinese missile strike

Sirens rang out, roads emptied and people were ordered to stay indoors in Taiwan's capital Taipei on Tuesday during an annual air-raid exercise simulating a Chinese missile attack.

Sirens sounded at 1:30 pm for the mandatory street evacuation drills, which effectively shut towns and cities across northern Taiwan for 30 minutes.

An alert, asking people to evacuate to safety immediately, was sent via text message for the exercise named Wan'an, which means everlasting peace.

#Taiwan #China

@asianomics
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๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ผ Japan will work with US for Taiwan peace, top spokesman says

Japan will continue to work with the United States for peace on the Taiwan Strait regardless of who is in the White House after the November presidential election, Japan's top government spokesperson said.

"Peace and stability (in the Taiwan Strait) is hugely important not just for our own security but for the entire international community," Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said in response to a question on whether a Trump presidency would have an impact on the US commitment in the Indo-Pacific.

Given the U.S. and Japan both believe in the importance of resolving cross-strait issues peacefully, "we will continue these diplomatic efforts. It is important to reinforce the common ground we have as allies," he added.

#Japan #USA #Taiwan

@asianomics
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๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ North Korean state media weighs in on US election

North Korean state media criticized the United States for its elections and cast doubt over hopes of dialogue in the future regardless of the outcome of the US presidential race in November.

The political climate between Democrats and Republicans is "confused by the infighting" and will not change, said a column carried by KCNA.

The column also mentioned recent remarks by former US President Donald Trump flaunting his ties with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. While acknowledging Trump's efforts to build ties during his 2017-2021 presidency, KCNA said no substantial positive change was brought about.

#NorthKorea #USA

@asianomics
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